Twelve Months of Programs with Betsy Schwarm January: Sleigh Rides & Snowstorms: Winter in Classical Music For musical expression of the snowy season, Vivaldi’s Winter is hard to beat, but it is not alone. Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Leroy Anderson also brought...
Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons – Beethoven’s Ode to Joy – Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture – Gershwin’s Summertime: Some of the most beloved classical music is immediately familiar, even to those who would swear they’ve never been to a classical concert. Classical music...
Even people who think they don’t know any classical music would still have to admit that the opening of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5 sounds familiar. They’d say the same thing about Bizet’s bullfighter music from Carmen and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. Speaking of...
Classical composers have often found inspiration in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Its festive street scenes, Fezziwig’s party, the Cratchit family gathering, even Scrooge’s redemption gain from musical expression. Music historian Betsy Schwarm’s program may have you...
On Sunday, November 14, 1943, 25-year-old Leonard Bernstein debuted with the New York Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall. The first American-born conductor to lead a first-rank orchestra, he went on to become one of the biggest names in classical music. Betsy Schwarm will...
Even if they weren’t/aren’t Jewish (as Irving Berlin and Leonard Bernstein were), many composers have been inspired to draw upon the rhythm and flow of Jewish music. Some echoed folk traditions, others the synagogue – even if the resulting composition wasn’t intended...
Imperial Vienna was the perfect place for those who wished to revel in great music – or to earn a musical living! In this survey, music historian Betsy Schwarm offers music and insights. We’ll sample a piano concerto, a symphony, and a waltz from three generations of...
A certain bit of music from the original film Psycho might leave some people reluctant to go in the shower. A splashy, brassy fanfare could have certain listeners imagining light sabers and X-wing fighters. It’s iconic movie music, often using the same techniques...
For decades, John Williams (b. 1932) has been the king of movie music, giving voice to some of the most iconic film characters. But even Williams had his predecessors. Let’s go back to the start of films having recorded musical scores. As Robin Hood, Errol Flynn...
From Luke Skywalker to Abraham Lincoln, countless iconic films have been enhanced by music of John Williams. For the past 50 years, he’s been the biggest musical name in Hollywood; scarcely a person alive can honestly claim to have never heard a scrap of Williams....
Marches, ballets, symphonies, and Broadway: American composers have brought much to the world of classical music. Music historian Betsy Schwarm has the music and the stories behind the scenes, and a selection of music by three of the most famous composers.
Sousa marches – Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man – Irving Berlin’s God Bless America – John Williams’ Midway March. Music historian Betsy Schwarm brings familiar tunes, along with new discoveries. Yankee Doodle and Hail, Columbia share a piano with The...
Beethoven and the boys get most of the attention, but there have also been fine women composers, many earning widespread success and admiration. Classical music historian and frequent public speaker Betsy Schwarm brings her user-friendly approach to the topic. From...
But how does it reflect Monet’s paintings, and what other composers were involved? Music historian Betsy Schwarm presents perspectives, with artistic images to set the scene.
Combining the skills of a superior pianist and a superior composer often leads to magical results. Certainly, that’s true of Chopin and Rachmaninoff. Betsy Schwarm presents a sampling and comparison of their works, both solo piano and with orchestra.
Two familiar wedding marches, songs of love, and a bit of Romeo and Juliet: Music historian Betsy Schwarm presents a mix of classical music for romance, from Wagner and Mendelssohn to Tchaikovsky and Puccini. Clara Schumann also appears on the program.
Irish music isn’t all Danny Boy! The Emerald Isle also appears in classical music. Beethoven arranged Irish songs, English-born composer Sir Arthur Sullivan had an Irish father, and American Ben Moore admires Irish poetry. Music historian Betsy Schwarm delves into the...
Debussy may be the biggest star of French classical music, but he isn’t the nation’s only master composer. In recognition of Bastille Day, music historian Betsy Schwarm samples a variety of French composers, from a Fantastic Symphony to Carmen.
Maybe you haven’t been to the Grand Canyon lately, but you’ve likely heard Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite: Sunrise, the Painted Desert, on the trail with burros, a powerful thunderstorm, and a splendid sunset. Music historian Betsy Schwarm gives us a tour.
Fandangos with a measure of elegance! Latinx moods have long been admired in classical music. Albéniz’ Asturias you’ll recognize, Rodrigo’s guitar concertos, too. Music historian Betsy Schwarm will start with composers from Spain, but branch into the Western...
Many of us first saw The Nutcracker in childhood. However, Tchaikovsky didn’t write it just for youngsters. He also hoped to create a satisfying artistic experience for all. Music historian Betsy Schwarm explores the treasured holiday work, its background, and its...
Tchaikovsky’s catalog of works is not limited to the ever-popular Nutcracker. Music historian Betsy Schwarm provides perspectives on other Tchaikovsky works having no dancers at all: the dramatic First Piano Concerto, the elegant String Serenade, and the fateful Fifth...
From Salzburg to Vienna, from symphonies and operas, to concertos and chamber music: Mozart could do it all. Alas, he didn’t quite make it to his 36th birthday, but he’d already spent thirty years on the international scene, setting a standard that other composers...
Even people who don’t follow classical music know the opening of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5, but there’s so much more to the man and his music than just those four ever-so-famous notes. Even once you add the Ode to Joy, the list has still scarcely begun. What made...
Schubert may be best known for the symphony he didn’t finish. However, his widely admired Unfinished Symphony is only one part of the story. This Viennese native was also a master of songs, setting poems to music so that the words became even more powerful than they...
Ballroom dance styles, music for the ballet, and folk dance: All have their role in bringing danceable energies into the classical concert hall. Johann Strauss Jr.’s waltzes stand on their own, even outside the ballroom. Orchestral ballet suites need no choreography:...
From Pomp and Circumstance to Pirates of Penzance – and beyond – English composers have written some of the most beloved works in the world of classical music. Let’s sample some English classics! Along with Elgar and Sullivan, we’ll check in with Vaughan Williams and...
Few American composers are quite so singable as Gershwin! Even those who generally know better than to sing in public are still strongly tempted to croon along with his song Summertime. Then there’s the bounce and verve of I Got Rhythm, and so many other marvelous...
Even before Gershwin set foot in Carnegie Hall, American composers were making their mark in classical music: slow to arrive on the scene but eagerly accepted once they stepped through the door. But what makes their music sound American, and why didn’t they charge...
Vivaldi’s Winter from The Four Seasons is likely the most famous wintery expression of the snowy season. However, it is not the only choice. Both Wolfgang Mozart and his father Leopold composed sleigh-ride inspired music. Tchaikovsky brought winter to musical life...
Classical music isn’t just something written by white Euro-American guys. Other cultures have also made their mark, bringing individual cultural voices to the concert hall for all audiences to experience, even alongside Beethoven. Classical music historian and...
Take the swirl of a Strauss waltz. Add a festive spirit and a case of champagne. The result is Viennese operetta! No tragic endings. No fiendish bad guys. Just couples successfully working out their differences against a largely light-hearted background and a fair...
Can-Can girls and singing pirates: welcome to the world of French and English operetta! It’s one thing to have romance and humor as Viennese operetta offered. However, in Paris and London, a dash of social satire came into the mix. With Orpheus in the Underworld and...
Before Broadway became “Broadway,” there were European operettas. When these came to New York City, they taught American composers how to write more compelling stage works. Music historian Betsy Schwarm will explore how the European practice of having music serve the...
